Category Archives: Soul
PETER KING-SHANGO.
PETER KING-SHANGO. All too often, innovative music isn’t appreciated when it’s released. It passes almost unnoticed. Apart from a few people, who realize the importance of the music, and champion it passionately, it can be years, even decades later, that the importance of an artist or album is recognized. This has been the case with …
PLEASURE-FUTURE NOW.
PLEASURE-FUTURE NOW. Portland-based Pleasure spent several years honing their style and sound before Wayne Henderson of The Crusaders “discovered” them. Pleasure were formed in 1972, after a merger of two high school bands, Franchise and The Soul Masters. Franchise were led by guitarist and vocalist Marlon McClain. Their music was a fusion of disco and …
GLADYS KNIGHT AND THE PIPS-IMAGINATION.
GLADYS KNIGHT AND THE PIPS-IMAGINATION. In 1973, it came as no surprise that Gladys Knight and The Pips decided leave Motown. After all, Gladys Knight had been forced to live in the shadow of Diana Ross. To onlookers. Diana Ross was Motown’s chosen one, while Gladys Knight had to settle for second best. So after …
PHYLLIS HYMAN-THE BUDDAH YEARS.
PHYLLIS HYMAN-THE BUDDAH YEARS. Although Phyllis Hyman’s career was cut tragically short, the eight albums she released between 1977 and 1991, are a tantalizing reminder of a singer who could’ve and should’ve become one of the greats of soul music. Sadly, that wasn’t to be. Tragedy intervened. Phyllis Hyman committed suicide, a week before her …
KLEEER-WINNERS.
KLEEER-WINNERS. Kleeer, whose sophomore album Winners was recently released by BBR Records, could be described as a band with an identity crisis. After all, how many bands change their name five times? Kleeer did. Their origins can be traced to The Choice 4, an R&B band who were guided by Van McCoy. Richard Lee was …
DARRELL BANKS-I’M THE ONE WHO LOVES YOU-THE COMPLETE VOLT RECORDINGS.
DARRELL BANKS-I’M THE ONE WHO LOVES YOU-THE COMPLETE VOLT RECORDINGS. Although Darrell Banks only released two albums in a career that didn’t even last three years, his popularity surpasses singers whose careers were much longer and much more productive. Including demos, Darrell Banks discography numbers less than forty tracks. That was Darrell Banks’ musical legacy. …
THE STAPLES SINGERS FEATURING MAVIS STAPLES-THIS TIME AROUND.
THE STAPLES SINGERS FEATURING MAVIS STAPLES-THIS TIME AROUND. Having signed to Stax Records in 1968, The Staple Singers went on to be one of Stax’s most successful groups. They helped fill the void left by the death of Otis Redding and the loss of Sam and Dave to Atlantic Records. Along with Isaac Hayes and …
BETTYE CRUTCHER-LONG AS YOU LOVE ME.
BETTYE CRUTCHER-LONG AS YOU LOVE ME. For Bettye Crutcher, getting a foothold in the male-dominated world of Memphis songwriting wasn’t easy. Her songs already been rejected by Willie Mitchell at Hi Records. Willie told her he’d already got Don Bryant signed to Hi Records. Don had already established himself as a successful and prolific songwriter. …
DAVID PORTER-GRITTY, GROOVIN’ AND GETTIN’ IT.
DAVID PORTER-GRITTY, GROOVIN’ AND GETTIN’ IT. By the summer of 1969, David Porter was one of the most important people at Stax Records. He’d played his part in the label’s success story since 1961, when he cowrote That was The Life I Live, the B-side to Barbara Stephens’ single I Don’t Worry. Soon, David established …
SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE-THERE’S A RIOT GOIN’ ON.
SLY AND THE FAMILY STONE-THERE’S A RIOT GOIN’ ON. Two years in the making, Sly and The Family Stone released There’s A Riot Goin’ On was released in November 1971. It was the followup to 1969s Stand, Sly and The Family Stone’s fourth album. Released to critical acclaim, Stand was Sly and The Family Stone’s …
NANCY WILSON-KALEIDOSCOPE AND I KNOW I LOVE HIM.
NANCY WILSON-KALEIDOSCOPE AND I KNOW I LOVE HIM. Not many artists have enjoyed the longevity that Nancy Wilson has. Nancy released over seventy albums over a career that’s spanned six decides. Her career started back in 1956, when she was just nineteen. Three years later, in 1959, Nancy released Like In Love for Capitol Records. …
T-CONNECTION-MAGIC.
T-CONNECTION-MAGIC. T-Connection were an unlikely success story of the disco era. First up, they weren’t American, like most disco artists. Instead, they were from the Bahamas. Founded in 1975, T-Connection’s charismatic lead singer and keyboard player Theophilus T. Oakley was a classically trained musician. Along with bassist Kurt Oakley, drummer Berkeley Van Byrd, guitarist Monty …
GLORIA GAYNOR-LOVE TRACKS.
GLORIA GAYNOR-LOVE TRACKS. It’s almost fitting that the song that the song that rejuvenated Gloria Gaynor’s career was I Will Survive. After all, by December 1978, when Gloria Gaynor released Love Tracks, she was one of music’s survivors. She had to be. The last few years hadn’t been easy. Things had started well for Gloria, …
AURRA-A LITTLE LOVE.
AURRA-A LITTLE LOVE. It was in 1975, that Steve Washington formed his first band with his school friends Mark Hicks and Tim Dozier. Born in Newark, Steve was brought up in East Orange, New Jersey. Steve was from a musical family. His uncle was The Ohio Players’ Ralph “Pee Wee” Midlebrooks. During his holidays, Steve …
KON-ON MY WAY.
KON-ON MY WAY. For self-confessed crate-digger Kon, his raison d’etre is the pursuit of music with the perfect beat or break. He’ll leave no stone unearthed in his search for vinyl. He’s searched dusty basements, backstreet record shops, flea markets, charity shops and nowadays, online auctions looking for vinyl. They’re among his favorite haunts in his …
PEABO BRYSON AND ROBERTA FLACK-BORN TO LOVE.
PEABO BRYSON AND ROBERTA FLACK-BORN TO LOVE. Collaborations between successful solo artists don’t always work. Musical history proves this. There’s all sorts of pitfalls involved. Then there’s the fact that two egos are involved. So, what looks like being a musical marriage made in heaven, can quickly, turn into a nightmare. Rather than the album …
TAVARES-HARD CORE POETRY.
TAVARES-HARD CORE POETRY. Most groups have just one lead singer, two if they’re really lucky. Not many groups however, have five lead singers. Tavares did. Ralph, Pooch, Chubby, Butch and Tiny each took turns of delivering the lead vocal on each of their albums, including Hard Core Poetry, their 1975 sophomore album, album which was …
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